Pneumatic action for musical instruments.



No. 889,445. PATENTED JUNE 2, 1908.

T. DANQUARD. PNBUMATIG- AGTIGN PGR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS;

APPLICATION FILED Nov.29,19o5. l 2 SHEBTSQSHBET 1,

No. 889,445.- P'ATENTED JUNE 2,1908,

T DANQUARD.' PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.29. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEETZ.

UNITED STATES :PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS DANQUARD, OF NEW YORK, Nl Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE AUTOPIANO COMPANY, A'OOR- PORATION fOF NEW YORK.

PNEUMATIC ACTION FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Patented June 2, 19o8.

Application led November 29, 195. Serial No. 289,572.

To all whomit may concern.'

Be it known that I, THOMAS DANQUARD, a

citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Pneumatic Action for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

In that class of musical instruments which are operated pneumatically, and particularly pianos, it is customary to divide the actions into sections and to provide means whereby the notes of one section of actions can be played louder `or softer than the notes of the i other section of actions so that the theme can be brought out and the accompaniment softened or vice versa or similar musical effects obtained. l

One object of this present invention is to provide a simple and effective mechanism for this purpose. Tothis end, a regulating valve is arranged in the air passage of each vactuating pneumatic -and is connected sol that when. thrown into operation, the said air passage will be throttled or controlled to soften the action of the pneumatic. The throttling action of said regulating valve can be adjusted son-s to get the desired effect, an

adjustable spring being preferably provided for this purpose.

flhe throttling or controlling valve is preferably actuated by a pouch or dia hra m arranged in the air passage so that wlien ghe actuating pneumatic is called into operation, air pressure will set the controlling valve automatically in proper position. By this arrangement, when atmospheric pressureis let back into the pneumatic action, a quick recovery will take place as the controllingl valve will not interfere with its operation, Means arealso'provided so that said throttling valve can be positively held away from its seat so as tov get the full force or blow of the A actuating pneumatic when shading effects are not desired. Then by dividing the actuating pneumatics into sections. as is'customary for collectively throwing the controlling valves of a section of actions into operation or positively throwinn` them out of operation, the notes controlled by the particular section of actuating pneumatics can lesoftened down by throwing thel controlf gvalve into operation or can be 'played trolling valves out of operation.

Another' object of this invention is to promati'c means.

One convenient way for practicing the' invention is shown in the accompanying two sheets of drawings.

Referrinfr to the sectionale evation through a`set of pneumatic actions with my 1nvention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2' ofFig. 1. Fig; 3 is an enlarged perspective detail view illustrating the conhinged t ereto. The boards are connected along their edges by a collapsible diaphragm is customary. The lower board 11 is connected by a link 12 toactuate a pivoted lever 13 which bears upon or engages the wippen of the piano action. The piano action may be also played manually if desired, by means of the usual abstract and key, as illustrated. The air passage to the pneumatic is designated by the number 14. When air is drawn out through this air passage 14 the lower board 11 of the pneumatic will'be raised and the key struck. The air maybe drawn from the pneumatic and let into the' same by any of the common valve mechanisms employed for this purpose. T he one indicated being arranged and operated as follows: 15 desi nates a passage which communicates wit passage controls a diaphragm connected to a is opened by the passa v thepaper over a charme of4 thetracker-b'ard, atmospheric pressure will beadmitted under thev diaphragm .find the suction on the upper videy means whereby actions or sections off actions can be modified preferably by pneudetail,4

of-an up er board 10 anda lower board 11 double valve 16-17. When the assage 15.

e of a per oration of fun force by positiveiy hoidmgthe Said @onf drawings, Figure 1 is a struction of the means forcontrfolling thethe tracker-board of the instrument. g This l side thereof will raise the 4double valvev ,i6-17, allowin atmospheric pressure to pass into channelA 18. "Channel 18 controls a diaphragm 19 to which a doub1evalve20-121 is connected. The valve 20 controls'the .flow of air from the passage 14 into the. suc-v. tioni chest C and the'valve 21 .controls the -itlow from the atmosphere into said passage '14. When atmospheric pressure `is admitted i Q into channel 18, valve 20 is o ened and valvev the suction chest C'. When thelopening in the tracker-board is closed, the double valve fio- 16417 drops to normal position shown,'.eX-.

hausting the pressure in channel 18 which restores the double valve 2021 to the normal position, shown, cutting off the eXhaust from tliepneum'atic .and connecting the sanie'withthe atmosphere, thus allowing the pn'eu matic to return to its normal position.. The

I air passage 14 is interrupted by a partition 22V sec'ured'on the top of which is a piece of felt or .other suitable material to. forma valveseat. A controlling valve 23 isarranged toA co erate with said valve-seat. This controlling valve is secured to' a pouch `or diaphragm arranged around anopening in theV air passage 14, and in factit constitutes part of the wall of said passage. The outside oi said pouch is exposed to the atmospheric air, whereby the position of the valve will be conl trolled by the air-tension in thepassage 14, or

in the wind-chest C, and when' the tension is high, the passage will be restricted; The. valve 23 is also connected to a bar 25 which is hinged toa piece ofielt 26. The outeror free end of the bar is provided with a piece of felt 24 engaging the under side of which is a spring 27 'secured to a bar or strip 28 on top of the pneumatic. Thespring 27 isbent into L-shaped forni so 'as to push up on the end of the bar 25.. A piece of felt 29 is arranged under the spring27 so that the tension or leverage thereof which opposes the downward movement of the bar can be adjusted. By adjusting'thispiece of felt it will be seen that when the air is exhausted through the passage 14 and the pneumatic called into action, the cont-rolling valve 23 will be brought down toward its seat and will choke or regulatethe air passage 14 so that the suction `from the pneumatic will be regulated accord` ing to the degree of suction in the suction chest. ln other words, the pneumatic will have an easy soft act-ion which will be practieally the same. for all pressures in thesuction chest; Thus, when these controlling valves are applied to a section of actions as shown, this section of actions will he played sottiliT no matter what the pressure is in the suction chest which is employed to actuatc Y the other piieuinatics not having sncli conend/ of the har 25.

trolling valves or not having such controlling valvesin operation. When this damping or 'softening yaction is not desired, the controlling valves are thrown out ot operation.

This can be done by" theioilowiiig lmechanprovided for each tier of' theparticular section of actions. These bars are pivoted so that they can turn and act practically as cams or levers under theouter ends. oi` said lbars 25.

` Arms 31 areconnected to the ends oi the registering bars or controllers 3() and these Aarms are connected to a common link 32 which may beactuated by bell-crank lever 33 and a rod 84 having aI button on its end.

and extending to a convenient position to be vmanipulated by the operator` or player.

This mechanism thus provides a means `lor collectively throwing the controllingl valves of the particular sect-ion of actions into andout of operation. It is preferred that there be two such. sections of actions, one representing the bass and the other the treble. When the lregistering bars are turned to voperative osition, as shown in dotted lines iii Fig; 1, t e throttling valves are kept away from their. seats and will have no eli'eet, as the airpassages 14 are left free and open by this positive holding of the controlling valves in inoperative position- In. some eases, it may be desirable to provide pneumatically operating means loil throwing the controlling valves into and out .of operation and a suitable mechanism i'or `this purpose is illustrated in Fig. 4.' in this il (l arrangement, 35 designates a chamber which `v is connected with the suction. oi exhaust' chest and arranged on top of the same is another chamber 36; the two' chambersv being `connected by small ports. A valve 37 which is'held u) by .a spring, covers these ports. This-valve is located in convenient position to be manipulated by the operator or )layer and a button 38 is arranged on the ro( thereof. The Valve stein. 'lits loosely in the upper partition and a piece o'l :telt is 4placed under the button so that when the button is in its raised position, atn'iospheiirl pressure cari flow in around the upper ehiiniher around the valve-stem and so that when the button is in its depressed. position, this i'low will he stopped. Y

rl`he upper chamber 36 is connected hi' a pipe 40 to a chamber 4`l arranged on the top of each pneumatic. Arranged in mieli olI these chambers is a diaphragm 4.2 which has a projecting stein 43 which engages the .lree

Each chaniherll is connected to the atmosphere below the diaphragm 42.E When the parts are inv their normalposition, the button 3S will be up 'and 'atmospheric pressure 'willybe admitted 5 to each of the chambers 41, whereby the diaphragm 42 `and plunger 43 will not affectthe regulating -valve 23.

For ordinary laying, the bars 30 are moved 'so as to nolid all the valves 23 in raised or inoperative position. When one section,

for example, either the treble or bass, is to be modulated or softened, all the bars 3() ofthat section, three in the present instance, each operating part of the valves in one tier, are

turned to the fiat position so that all the vvalves 23 ol that section will come into operation. Then the button 38 controlling the particular section of actions to be accented kor played loud, is depressed. This exhausts 2O the chambers 41'of the articular section of actions, which lifts the p ungers 43 and thereby holds 'the valves 23 of the particular section of'actions out of position, allowing the full action of these pneum'atics without any'4 l modilication, therebyT accenting the. parti/cun lar section of actions.

Many other mechanismsl may be devised for throwing the controlling valves into foper ation and for throwingthe same out of operation.

3.5 Having thus fully described the invention,

what I claim is l. In a musical instrument, the combination of an actuating pneumatica passage therefrom, a pouch oi" diaphragm constitut-` 40 ing' part of one Wall of said passage and having one side -constantly exposed to the atmospheric air, v whereby the position of the pouch will be-co'ntrolled by the air tension in saidv passage, and means operated by the pouch for controlling the iiow of air along said assage. 2.1i

n a musical instrument, the combination of a suction chest, an actuating pneumatic, a passage connecting said chest and pneumatic, a pouch or diaphragm constitut-A fing a part otvonewwallof said passage and.

.having its outside constantly exposed to the atmospheric air, whereby the position of said pouch will be lcontrolledby the air,tension in .said passage, and auvalve carried by said lpouch and adapted to control theflow of air along saidpassagefrom the -pneumatic to the 'suction-chest. Y l n 3. In aX musical instrument, the combination of,anactuatingpneumatic having avpas` sage therefrom, apartitionin said passa e,

apouch'locatedfoversaidpartition, a va ve aconneete'd with' said pouchand adapted to regulate the flow of air over said partition, a movable support for said valve, and means for regulating the normal position thereof.

g 4. In a musical instrument, the combination of an actuating pneumatic, a valve for regulating the supply of air therefrom ,\a movable support for said valve, a spring for reguand means for regulating the' tension of the spring.

5. In a musical instrument, the combination of a plurality of actuating pneumatics, a regulating valve for each pneumatic, resilient means -for supporting each of said valves in open position, pneumatioally contiolled means for ositively opening said valves, andv maiiua ly operated means for positively opening a ,plurality of valves simultaneously. n

6. In a music playing device the combination of pneumatic actions a regulating valve for controlling the How of airA from each pneu- ,matic action, manually operated means for operating the valves of a section or series of actions, and pneumaticalljT controlled means for operating said valves.'

7. Ina musical instrument, 4the combination of a ,pneumatic action, a regulatingvalve controlling the flow of air from said action,

and a registering bar for'holding the regulating valve in inoperative position, which bar can be adjusted to allow the valve to come into operation.

8. In a musical instrument, the ccxibination with pneumatic actions, of a regulating valve controlling vtheflow of air from each action, means for holding the `regulating valves in inoperative position, said means being divided into parts for regulating the bass and vtreble inde endently, and a plurality of pneumatical y operated means, for holding said valves ininoperative position.

9. In `a musical instrument, the combination of a pneumatic action,"a regulating valve controlling the flow of air from said action, a registering bar for holding the regulating valve in inoperative position which bar can be adjusted to allow the valve to come into operation, and neumatically operating means for additional y holding the regulating valve in inoperative position.

10. -In amusical instrument, the combination of a pneumatic action, a regulating valve controlling the i'low of air from said action, a registering bar for holding the regulating valve-in inoperative position which bar can be adjusted to alloT the valve to come into o eration, adia hragm, and plungers for a ditionally holding the regulating valve in l inoperative position.

7'0 lating the normal position -of the support,`

a registering bar for holding the regulating 'In testimony whereof- I have hereunto set valve in inoperative position Which-bar can my hand, in the presence of two subscribing io be adjust-ed to allow the valve to come into witnesses.

operation, a diaphragm, plungeis, and a THOMAS 1D ANQ ARD [I q1 valve and connections for allowing the suotion to act on the diaphragm for additionally l/Vitness'es: x

- l'ioldiiig the regulating valvein'inoperative VViwLVJ.. vKEELEY, position. y n A. i. WMP. COLLINS; 

